I am now at the end of day three. Today was much easier than I thought it would be. Day two seemed to be kind of a transition between solid foods and liquids. I think my body had some time there when it was right in between the two and a bit confused—that’s why I felt such malaise yesterday. But when I woke up this morning I felt fine, energized even. And that lasted for most of the day, until late afternoon when I started to wear down. After coming home and having my final two juices of the day, I’m still feeling pretty good. Definitely ready for bed though.

Overall, this has been a great experience. I’m really glad I kept going after hitting the wall yesterday. After three days I feel really good and I’m down, I think, about eight pounds. One thing is for sure though: I cannot wait to put solid food into my body again. i didn’t miss it at all today. But now, late at night, I’m starting to feel pangs of hunger in my stomach and I’m craving something solid. Another reason is because, despite how healthy I feel after this cleanse, it did some weird things to my insides. Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say that what goes in is what comes out. And I’ll be happy to take in some solids again. That’s one weird downside to the last three days. The only one, really. I feel healthier and happier after going through this.

If you’re considering a juice cleanse, I really encourage you to try it. There are bumps in the road along the way, but the payoff is well worth it. So, do some research—I’m including my recipes below—and prepare yourself mentally for a few days, and then go for it. You’ll be glad you did when it’s over.

that’s so funny..just last week I planned on doing a 3 day liquid diet. Didn’t follow through because my dr. said that all the weight you lose will come right back and you could end up gaining. hopefully they were wrong, if so maybe I will try it

That’s probably true, Heather. I’m guessing it’s all water weight that I lost. But I think that if you go on one of these cleanses and don’t overdo it when you’re back to eating, and you exercise, most of it will probably stay off. I’ll keep you posted!

The weight loss was only one of the reasons I did it though. Even if I gain those pounds back, I feel a lot better overall. Though, that might not last if I step on the scale and it’s back where it was when I began. We’ll see.

I’ve never done a juice cleanse but I do eat lots and lots of veggies (I do eat animal protein too though) and I’m wondering if the benefits of the natural fiber you eat in apples, cucumbers, carrots, etc. is better than just juice because the fiber is also cleansing the inside of your gut and intestines?

Also, you didn’t mention this, but if you take a natural Vitamin C supplement and crank it up to maybe 2000 mg a day and drink LOTS of water it will (1) boost your immune system, (2) help promote urination which is the body’s natural cleansing system, (3) make your skin look great. The downside to Vit C if you are not used to taking it is it will increase the urge to purge not just urine. You need to ramp up gently over a few days and like I said make sure there is lots of water.

Thanks again, I like the recipes. Would be curious to see if you feel any better now, a few days later, or if the effects wore off right away?

Thanks for the tips, Carol. I have been looking into supplements—vitamin C and others—so it’s good to know what I have to look forward to in terms of “purging.”

And I do feel much better, several days after the cleanse ended. I’ve had much more energy and, most importantly, I think I’m eating a lot better after that experience. Prior to it, while I was eating a vegan diet and relatively healthy, I was including a lot of things that I just don’t crave anymore. Namely things that aren’t fruits and vegetables. Though, I do still have a hankering for vegan pizza!

Steven Seighman is a book designer, photographer and traveler living in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife and cat. As a staff designer at St. Martin’s Press and Dzanc Books, he works on creating both book jackets and interiors. He is also available to do any of the things listed above on a freelance basis. Do get in touch and let's make something together.